The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

1. The Weeknd has released his second mixtape, Thursday, for free download. It comes out a mere five months after his mysterious debut, House of Balloons.

2. He’s an actor, producer, and activist, but it turns out Ashton Kutcher isn’t much of a journalist. After guest editing a special online issue of Details, he may be investigated by the FTC and/or SEC for plugging companies he invests in, including Flipboard, Foursquare, and Airbnb. [via New York Times]

3. Lady Gaga will open this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. She made the announcement yesterday, via a banner in Times Square during an appearance on MTV to debut her new “Yoü and I” video, and let the Little Monsters gathered outside the network’s studios read it on the air. [via Billboard]

5. End of the Rainbow, a play about the life of Judy Garland that’s a hit in London, is on its way to Broadway. The show will open April 3rd, after a trial run in Minneapolis and two weeks of previews. [via PopWatch]